SPORTSJuly 2, 2015 D3www.FortHoodSentinel.com

BY DAVE LARSENChief, Command Information

Tuesday night, I sat glued to my television watching the drama unfold as the U.S. Nation-al Women’s Team shut-out the top-rated team from Ger-many, 2-0. The victory in Montreal earned the A m e r i c a n side the right to meet either Eng-land or the current World Cup champion Japan in the 2015 finale in Vancouver Sunday. That semi-final match hadn’t been played by press time Wednesday.

Scoreless 1st halfThe U.S. women’s head coach

Jill Ellis changed up the attack against the Germans, opting to play only one striker alongside five mid-fielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Up until the semifinal, the U.S. rou-tinely played a 4-4-2 set, with two forwards on the field.

While the German side attacked in the first few minutes, the Ameri-can defense withstood the early challenge and the momentum shift-ed to the U.S. as its midfielders began to control the action.

Megan Rapinoe, who had to sit out the quarterfinal win over China due to yellow card accumulation, was particularly aggressive and suc-cessful in taking the ball away from the Germans and keeping it on their side of midfield.

“We did a good job picking pass-es off,” Rapinoe told ESPN follow-ing the victory, “and getting into channels and winning balls.”

Despite playing the majority of the first half on the offensive, the Americans could not find the net. Three first-half goal scoring oppor-tunities came up empty for the U.S.

team.Germany came into the game

as the top-scoring team in the 2015 World Cup. They had scored 20 goals in their first five games, including a perfect 12-for-12 on penalty kicks. That string of success was about to get snipped.

Lady luckIn a scoreless game, one small

misstep can cost you dearly. Early in the second half, Germany’s Alex-andra Popp intercepted a pass by defender Julie Johnston and looked to have a free run at the U.S. goal and goalkeeper Hope Solo.

That didn’t happen as Johnston took down Popp from behind.

“I wish I could have that moment back,” Johnston said following the match. “It definitely was probably one of a defender’s worst night-mares.”

Many believed the take down warranted a red card for Johnston. That didn’t happen, but Germany did get a penalty kick.

That’s when Lady Luck showed her face for the first time.

Celia Sasic, Germany’s top

scorer, set up for the kick. Solo dove right, but Sasic put her penalty kick wide left, missing a completely open goal by less than a foot. It was the first time a German has missed a penalty kick in 13 attempts at the Women’s World Cup.

Ten minutes later, the U.S. earned a penalty kick on Germa-ny’s Annike Krahn’s foul on Alex Morgan. Many thought the foul occurred outside the penalty box. Lucky? Maybe.

Carli Lloyd set up to take the PK, and sent it into the right-hand side of the net as Germany’s goalkeeper dove the other way. The U.S. had the lead, but they didn’t rest on their laurels. They continued to attack.

ConfirmationWith only 15 minutes left to

play, Ellis began substituting fresh legs onto the pitch. Among them was Abby Wambach and Kelley O’Hara.

In the game’s 84th-minute, Lloyd worked herself free of two German defenders inside the penalty box and sent a sizzling pass across the

face of the German goal. That is where O’Hara’s foot found it and sent it into the net to insure the U.S. victory. The goal was O’Hara’s first international score in 62 career games.

The U.S. Women’s National Team has now shut out five of its six opponents in the 2015 World Cup.

With the win, they are the first team to reach four finals and could be the first to win three.

The U.S. is the third country to reach consecutive finals, and the second to do so after losing the previous final.

In 2011, the American women appeared to be destined for great-ness, but they lost in heart-breaking fashion on penalty kicks to Japan. A rematch of that 2011 World Cup finale is possible. Come Sunday, the USWNT will hope for different results.

Me too. Next week, with the Major

League Baseball season nearing its midway mark, we’ll talk some base-ball, but for now it’s: “U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!”

Sports Commentary

US shuts down Germans, advances to finals

From Chuck McPhilomy, assistant golf professional at the Courses of Clear Creek.

Put the wheels back onSometimes you’ll be cruising along when all of a

sudden the wheels fall off and everything starts to go wrong. Take a minute by yourself to calm your thoughts and get rid of any anger. Grip the club lightly, set up to the ball without tension and make an effort to swing more slowly. The wheels will be back in place.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:“I would much rather be hitting the driver and a

nine-iron out of the rough than hitting a driver and a four-iron out of the fairway.”

— Jack Nicklaus

PRO GOLF TIP

If you need help for alcohol and drug abuse, call the Army Substance Abuse Program at 287-1583 or stop by Bldgs. 36040, 36041, 36044 and 36045 which are located near CRDAMC hospital.

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